Guard-rail clamp.



H. R. AKERS.

GUARD RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 29, 1912.

1,053,963 1 Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

@mi/mao JL, faQ# UNTEB SATES PATENT @FFFCFL HARRY R. AKERS, 0F TYLER, TEXAS.

GUARD-RAIL CLAMP.

To all whomy 2'?? may concern.'

Be it known that I, Hanny R. A Knns, a citizen of the United States. residing at Tyler, in the county of Smith. State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Guard-Rail Clamps: and l do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to guard rail clamps.

The object of theinvention resides in the provision of a guard rail clamp which will securely hold a guard rail in proper relation to the main rail and which will also operate to transfer strain exerted upon the guard rail to the nia-in rail.

further object of the invention resides in the provision of a guard rail clamp in which the parts may be readily adjusted so as to maintain the guard rail and main rail tightly secured at all times.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

ln describing` the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters o-f reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a railway track showing a guard rail secured in proper relation to the main rail through the instrumentality of the improved clamp. Fig. 2 a side elevation of what is shown in Fig. l looking at the main rail side. Fig. 3 an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. -l a detail perspective view of the filler block which engages the outer side of the main rail. Fig. a detail perspective view of the forcing blocks which engage respectively the linner sides of the guard and main rails, and Fig. 6 a detail perspective view of the adjusting screw which is utilized to operate the forcing blocks away from each other and into engagement with the guard rail and main rail respectively.

Referring to the drawing. 10 indicates the tie of a railway track, 11 the main rail and 12 the guard rail, said main rail and guard rail being supported directly upon the upper feces of the ties 10 and the former being se- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 29, 1912.

Patented Feb. 25,1913. Serial No. 728,497.

cured to the ties by means of spikes 13. The guard rail 12 is held in proper relation to the main rail 11 by means of a clamp which includes a. body portion 14 provided on its upper side with a groove 15 receiving. the guard rail 12 and the main rail 11. The lower ends of the side wall of the groove 15 are provided with recesses 1G which receive respectively portions of the bases of the guard rail 12 and main rail 11. @ne side of the groove 1.3 is cut away at its upper end to receive the ball of the guard rail 12 and form a suit-able seat therefore. The other side of the groove 15 is spaced a considerable distance from the outer side of the main rail 11 and inserted between the body po-rtion lei and the main rail 11 is a filler block 17 which is cut away as at 1S to receive the ball of the main rail 11. The face of the filler block 17 adjacent the side wall 15 is provided with a socket 19 in which engages one end of a binding screw 2O threaded in the base 14 and adapted to be operated to force the filler block 17 into engagement with the outer face of the main rail 11.

Disposed in engagement with the inner face of the main rail 11 and bearing against the upper side of the base and the lower edge of the ball thereof is a forcing block 21 provided centrally with a threaded opening 21 in which is engaged a threaded end 22 of a forcing screw Disposed in engagement with the inner face of the guard rail 12 and bearing aga-inst, same in a inanner corresponding to that in which the forcing block 21 bears against the main rail is another forcing block 24 provided with a central socket 25 in which is engaged the non-threaded end of the screw 23. rllhis screw 23 is provided between the forcing blocks 21 and 2-1 with longitudinal ribs 26 whereby the same may be readily engaged by a tool to effect the rotation thereof. lf it is desired to adjust the guard rail 12 and rail toward each other it is only necessary to rotate the screw 23 so as to draw the forcing block 21 inwardly or away from the main rail 11. TWhen this is done operate the screw 20 to force the filler block 17 against the main rail 11 which will move the main rail at that point until the same is again brought into proper engagement with the forcing block 20. By reversing this operation it will be apparent that the main and guard rails can be readily adjusted away from each other.

vWhat I claim is:-

A guard raii clamp comprising a body portion provided With a groove on its upper Side, a guard rail and a inain rail seated in said groove, a filler block interposed between the outer side of the main rail and said body portion, a screw mounted in the body portion engaging said iiiier block and operable to force the latter into engagement with the inain rail, forcing blocks engaged with the adjacent. inner faces of the main and guard rails respectively, the forcing block engaged with the main rail being provided With a central threaded aperture and the other forcing block being provided with a central recess in its outer face, and a spreading screw engaged in the threaded aperture and having a non-threaded portion engaged in said recess whereby the rotation of Said screw in one direction will more said forcing block against the adjacent inner faces of the niain and guard rails respectiveiy.

In testimony whereof7 I affix niy signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY R. AKERS. VitnesSes B. F. HINES, H. T. GILLIAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

